U.S. Soccer Wire: June 13, 2005

NewsJun 13, 2005

U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team Faces Germany Tuesday in World Youth Championship After 1-0 Win Against Argentina

U-20s LOOK TO GERMANY: The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team faces Germany on Tuesday (June 14) in the squad’s second game of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland. The U-20s go into their second match full of confidence after defeating four-time FIFA World Youth Champions, Argentina, on Saturday. A goal by Chad Barrett in the 39th minute was enough to put the U.S. ahead of the Argentines for the win. This was the fifth time the U.S. has opened the FIFA World Youth Championship with a victory, but interestingly in all of the four previous tournaments the U.S. lost their second match. In each instance, though, the U.S. still advanced to the second round. The U.S. sits tied for first place in Group D with three points after the victory as Germany defeated Egypt 2-0 in the second match in Enschede. The U.S. will battle for sole position of first place when they face Germany in their second match of the tournament at Arke Stadium on Tuesday, June 14 at 8:30 p.m. local/2:30 p.m. ET. Fans can follow the match live on Fox Soccer Channel or on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics.U.S. U-20 MNT FIFA World Youth Championship Results/ScheduleDate Matchup/Result Television U.S. Goal scorerJune 11 U.S. 1, Argentina 0 -- Chad BarrettJune 14 U.S. vs. Germany 2:30 p.m. FSC & Galavision* / 11 p.m. (FSC)June 18 U.S. vs. Egypt 7:30 a.m. FSC & Galavision / 12 and 4 p.m. (FSC)* Galavision for Germany game is West feed ONLY

U.S. MNT EARNS THREE POINTS ON THE ROAD: The U.S. Men’s National Team recorded a resounding 3-0 victory on Wednesday evening against Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, further entrenching the team’s bid for a berth in the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006. The 3-0 win was the second of the week for the U.S. in World Cup qualifying and came courtesy of goals from Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan and Brian McBride. The victory improves the U.S. to 4-1-0 halfway through qualifying, and places them in second place in their six-team group with 12 points, just one behind Mexico’s 13. With Mexico defeating Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 tonight at home, the gap between the U.S. and fourth place (the qualifying cutoff point) was widened to eight points after Costa Rica downed Guatemala, 3-2, at home.

SEITZ PROSPERING AT UEFA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: U.S. Soccer referee Kari Seitz of San Mateo, Calif., has earned positive reviews for her work at the ongoing 2005 UEFA Women's Championship taking place right now in England. Seitz, who has been a FIFA-certified referee since 1999, learned today that she is one of three referees remaining to call games during the knockout stage, which begins on Wednesday, June 15. Seitz will call the semifinal featuring Sweden and Norway. Seitz has previously worked major games at the 2004 Olympic Women's Soccer Tournament and the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR FIRST HOME WNT GAME OF 2005: The U.S. Women’s National Team will be back in action in the U.S. on June 26 as they take on Canada at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Va. U.S. head coach Greg Ryan has named 24 players to a training camp roster prior to the match against Canada, which is slated for 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can also follow the action on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics. Tickets begin at $18 and can be purchased online at ussoccer.com, by phone at 757-671-8100, at all Ticketmaster outlets throughout Virginia (including Farm Fresh and Ukrop Super’s), and at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday). Groups of 20 or more can order through U.S. Soccer at 312-528-1249.U.S. WNT RosterGOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart, Kristin Luckenbill, Hope Solo; DEFENDERS (8): Lori Chalupny, Tina Frimpong, Lindsey Huie, Amy LePeilbet, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Nandi Pryce, Cat Reddick; MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx, Lorrie Fair, Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly, Marci Miller, Lindsay Tarpley, Aly Wagner; FORWARDS (6): Danielle Fotopoulos, Tiffeny Milbrett, Heather O’Reilly, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach, Christie Welsh.

CLAVIJO ELECTED INTO HALL OF FAME AS VETERAN PLAYER: Fernando Clavijo, a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Men's National Team, the American Soccer League, the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League has been elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame. Born in Uruguay, Clavijo moved to the United States in 1979 to play for the New York Apollos of the American Soccer League. He made his U.S. Men's National Team debut on Nov. 21, 1990, eventually earning 61 caps for the team, including three starts in the 1994 World Cup. His career spanned 15 years and he was named an MISL All-Star 12 times. In 1984, he was also named an NASL All-Star. Following his playing career, Clavijo turned to coaching and is currently head coach of the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.

-- FIFA 2006 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING UPDATE --

HARTFORD TO HOST USA VS. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ON AUG. 17: Tickets remain on sale for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup qualifying match vs. Trinidad & Tobago on August 17 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. The U.S. vs. Trinidad & Tobago match will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN2, with fans also able to follow along live on ussoccer.com via MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at ussoccer.com, by phone at 860-525-4500, at all Ticketmaster outlets in the region (including Filene's Stores) and at the Hartford Civic Center (open Monday – Friday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.). Groups of 20 or more can call U.S. Soccer at 312-528-1290 or obtain a group order form at ussoccer.com. Trinidad & Tobago will be the first opponent that the U.S. faces for the second time in the 10-game final round of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, playing the return leg of a 2-1 victory on February 9 in Trinidad.

U.S. TAKES ON MEXICO IN COLUMBUS ON SEPT. 3: The U.S. Men’s National Team will host Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 3 in Columbus Crew Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET in their seventh of 10 final round qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. vs. Mexico match, which is being presented by Budweiser, will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic and Telemundo, with fans also able to follow the U.S. match live at ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics. It will be the fourth out of five World Cup qualifiers played in the United States and the fifth World Cup qualifying match hosted by the six-year-old venue. Ticketing details will be announced in the future.

Playoff (*home team will be determined by lottery at the conclusion of the final round)Date Match-up*Nov. 12/13 AFC #5 vs. CONCACAF #4 *Nov. 16 AFC #5 vs. CONCACAF #4

-- U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM UPDATE --

KAZBEK TAMBI NAMED NEW U-16 GIRL’S NATIONAL TEAM HEAD COACH: In his third appointment to his Women’s Youth National Team staff, U.S. head coach and technical director Greg Ryan has named Kazbek Tambi as the new head coach of the U.S. Under-16 Girl’s National Team. Tambi replaces Sue Patberg, who coached the U-16s for two and a half years and also worked as an assistant for the U-21s, helping the team win three Nordic Cup titles. Ryan previously appointed Tim Schulz to head the U.S. U-20s and Jillian Ellis to take over the U.S. U-21s after Ryan stepped aside from that position when he was named to the top job. Tambi has been the head coach of Arsenal World Class club since its inception. The club has produced numerous talented female players including three members of the U.S. team that participated in the 2004 FIFA U-19 World Championship in midfielders Yael Averbuch, Sheree Gray and defender Nikki Krzysik. He was the head coach of the New Jersey Stallions women’s team in the USL W-League for three seasons from 2002-2004 and is currently the assistant men’s coach at Seton Hall University under the legendary Manny Schellscheidt. Tambi, who holds a USSF “A” coaching license, has also coached in the New Jersey Olympic Development Program. As a player, Tambi played with the New York Cosmos during the final NASL season in 1984 and then captained the Cosmos during their post-NASL international schedule in 1985. He also played professionally for the New Jersey Eagles in the ASL and with the Minnesota Strikers in the MISL. Tambi was a member of the USA’s 1984 Olympic Team in Los Angeles and captained the 1983 U.S. Pan American Team that played in Caracas, Venezuela. In college, Tambi played at Columbia University where he was a team captain and an All-Ivy League selection as a senior, leading the Lions to four straight Ivy League crowns and into the NCAA Final Four in 1983. The U.S. U-16 GNT will not conduct its next event until November.

WELSH SCORES FOR WILDCATS, WAMBACH AND MACMILLAN TALLY IN WPSL: U.S. Women’s National Team forwards Christie Welsh scored a goal and Heather O’Reilly picked up an assist as the New Jersey Wildcats, a team stocked with national team players from the USA and Canada, defeated the Western Mass Lady Pioneers, 2-0, last Saturday to move to 7-0-0. U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team pool player Elisabeth Redmond scored the other goal in a match that also featured her older sister, U.S. U-20 Jen Redmond. In other USL W-League matches featuring U.S. WNT pool players, the Vermont Lady Voltage, backed by goalkeeper Kristin Luckenbill, picked up two wins last week, 1-0 against the Ottawa Fury last Wednesday and 4-1 against the Sudbury Canadians on Sunday. The Central Florida Krush, featuring defender Heather Mitts and forward Danielle Fotopoulos, won three games on their road swing in Virginia. The first was a 2-1 win against the Richmond Kickers Destiny on Thursday as Fotopoulos tallied. The Krush then picked up a 3-2 win against Hampton Roads Piranhas on Saturday before beating the Northern Virginia Majestics, 1-0, on Sunday as Fotopoulos scored the winner. Out West, the Arizona Heatwave, featuring defender Amy LePeilbet and goalkeeper Jen Branam, picked up two wins against the San Diego Gauchos Women, 5-0 on Saturday and 3-0 on Sunday. Branam played 40 minutes on the field on Saturday and LePeilbet scored a goal on Sunday. Amazingly, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo also played on the field this weekend, getting in 21 minutes of fitness with the Seattle Sounders, who lost to the Denver Lady Cougars, 3-0. Neither GK is a stranger to the field. Solo scored 38 goals as a forward when she was a senior in high school and Branam was a top scorer as a forward on her youth club teams. In Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPLS) action, Abby Wambach came off the bench for Ajax of Los Angeles to score the winning goal in a 2-1 win over the San Diego WFC Sea Lions. Wambach powered home a header off a corner kick in the 78^th minute to provide the winning margin as Ajax moved to 5-0-0. Shannon Boxx also played for Ajax. Shannon MacMillan played her first game for the Sacramento-based California Storm, scoring a goal and assisting on another (to former Brazilian and San Jose CyberRays star Sissi) in a 3-1 win over the Utah Spiders.

-- U.S. YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM UPDATE --

U.S. U-17 MNT HEAD TO NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER: U.S. U-17 MNT head coach John Hackworth will conduct a 10-day training camp at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. From June 20-30, in order to start building the roster that will compete at the 2005 FIFA Under-17 World Champioship in Peru. Hackworth has called 32 players into camp, which will include matches against the Honduras U-17 squad and the Chivas USA Reserves, among others. The roster includes 17 of the 18 players who participated in the World Championship qualifying tournament in Costa Rica, with Nikolas Besagno the only absence due to club commitments with his professional team, Real Salt Lake.U-17 MNT ScheduleDate OpponentJune 23 Honduras U-17June 24 Honduras U-17June 26 Cal North SelectJune 26 PDP U-23June 29 Chivas USA ReservesJune 29 PDP U-18

U.S. U-18 MNT FALLS TO PORTUGAL, POLAND IN PORTUGUESE TOURNAMENT: The U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team dropped their first two games at the Lisbon International Tournament in Portugal, with one game left to play on Tuesday (June 14). In the first game, the U.S. fell to host Portugal 3-1, with Rodrigo Hidalgo netting the only goal for the U.S. squad. The U.S. was unable to step it up for the following game the very next day, falling 3-0 to Poland. Up next for the U.S. is Japan on Tuesday (June 14) in the team’s final match of the tournament.U-18 MNT ScheduleDate Opponent Result U.S. Goal scorerJune 11 Portugal 3-1 L Rodrigo Hidalgo, 76'June 12 Poland 3-0 L --June 14 Japan

U-15 BOYS NATIONAL TEAM HEADS TO GUADALAJARA, MEXICO: The U.S. Under-15 Boy’s National Team will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico from June 15-23 for a three-game tour. U.S. Under-15 coach Jim Barlos has called in 24 players for the trip, which has the team facing off against Cruz Azul, Chivas and Rio Grande.U-15 BNT ScheduleDate OpponentJune 18 Rio GrandeJune 19 ChivasJune 21 Cruz Azul

U.S. U-21 WOMEN TRAVEL TO CANADA FOR PRE-NORDIC CUP GAMES: The U.S. Under-21 Women’s National Team is in Vancouver, Canada, this week for two matches before dropping down to Seattle for a third. The camp will be the last for the U-21s before regrouping in mid-July for a short camp before traveling to Sweden for the 2005 Nordic Cup. U.S. head coach Jillian Ellis has brought a strong U-21 squad to Canada to face a British Columbia Select side on Tuesday, June 14th and the Vancouver Whitecaps Women of the USL W-League on Wednesday, June 15. The team will then travel back down to Washington to face the W-League Seattle Sounders Women on Friday, June 17, before breaking camp. Ellis will name the 2005 U.S. Under-21 Nordic Cup Team in early July. The roster will consist of players born on or after January 1, 1984, but she will be allowed four “overage” players, meaning players born on or after January 1, 1981. The USA will be going for its almost unimaginable seventh straight title at the Nordic Cup, which features all of the top U-21 teams in Europe. The roster for the matches in Canada and the northwest features eight players with caps with the full Women’s National Team and 11 players who have played for the USA in a FIFA U-19 World Championship. Five players on the roster will have one day at home before traveling to join the full Women’s National Team in Charlottesville, Va., on June 19 as the USA begins preparations for the match vs. Canada on June 26 in Virginia Beach, Va. (Live on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET). Those players are goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, midfielders Lori Chalupny and Lindsay Tarpley and forwards Amy Rodriguez and Heather O’Reilly.U.S. U-21 WNT Roster for Northwest Matches:GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart (Stanford), Erica Bohn (Notre Dame); DEFENDERS (7): Jen Buczkowski (Notre Dame), Rachel Buehler (Stanford), Mary Castelanelli (UCLA), Kendall Fletcher (UNC), Hayley Hunt (Stanford), Stephanie Lopez (Portland), Jessica Maxwell (UNC); MIDFIELDERS (7): Lori Chalupny (UNC), Sarah Huffman (Virginia), Ali Krieger (Penn State), Carli Lloyd (Rutgers), Manya Makoski (Arizona State), Jill Oakes (UCLA), Lindsay Tarpley (UNC); FORWARDS (6): Danesha Adams (UCLA), Lauren Cheney (Carmel Heat), Heather O’Reilly (UNC), Megan Rapinoe (Portland), Amy Rodriguez (Laguna Hills Eclipse), Kelly Schmedes (Texas).

NSCD ANNOUNCES SOCCER DEVELOPMENT LEAGUES IN COLORADO AND CALIFORNIA: The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) is in the process of forming NSCD Soccer Development Leagues in Colorado and Southern California. Introductory clinics have begun and will continue through July when try-outs will be held. The next Colorado area clinic will be June 19 at the Northwest Open Space Recreation facility in Northglenn, Colo. This past weekend, the NSCD staged two clinics in Southern California (June 11 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. and June 12 at the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.). Interested players, coaches or clubs, please contact: Dana Schoenwetter by phone at (303) 293-5318 or by email at dschoenwetter@nscd.org. For more information on the NSCD, visit www.nscd.org. The NSCD is an internationally recognized therapeutic recreation agency serving individuals with disabilities. Founded in 1970, the NSCD’s mission is to positively impact the lives of people with any physical or mental challenge through quality adaptive recreation programs in over 20 sports.

SECOND ROUND U.S. OPEN CUP FIXTURES ANNOUNCED: U.S. Soccer announced the second round pairings for the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last week. Four teams from the United Soccer Leagues Second Division and four from the USL First Division will play the winners of the June 15 first round games. All eight of the second round matches will be played on Wednesday, June 29, and a full schedule can be found at ussoccer.com. The first ever qualifying round was played Wednesday, June 8, with a pair of United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) regional qualifiers advancing past USL Premier Development League teams. The first qualifying match saw Roma of Garland, Texas, top the Cocoa Beach Expos by a 7-2 margin in Cocoa Beach, Fla., as three Cocoa players were sent off - including former Miami Fusion (MLS) players Pete Marino and Ivan McKinley. Jamie Harrigan, Patrick Shamu, Juan Sastoque, all former Dallas Sidekicks (MISL) players, scored two goals apiece for Roma. In the second game of the night on the other coast, the Salinas Valley Samba topped the Cascade Surge 4-2 on penalties in Salem, Ore. after the score stayed knotted at 1-1 after 120 minutes including regulation and overtime. The Surge scored first in the 26th minute as Andriy Budnyy assisted on Tony Chavez's goal for a 1-0 lead, but seven minutes later Samba answered with Jeffery Stepan scoring to tie the game at 1-1. For complete First and Second Round fixtures, click here.2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ScheduleQualifying RoundDate Result June 8 Roma (USASA) 7, Cocoa Expos 2 June 8 Salinas Valley Samba (USASA) 1, Cascade Surge 1 (4-2 pk)

U.S. GOLD CUP JOURNEY TO BE FEATURED ON TELEFUTURA: The U.S. Men’s National Team begins their Gold Cup campaign live on Telefutura at 7:30 p.m. PT on July 7 against Cuba at Qwest Field in Seattle. Telefutura will broadcast all three of the USA’s group games and the entire 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup will be televised live on Univision, Galavision and Telefutura. Coverage continues with the encounter between the U.S. and Canada at 1:30 p.m. PT on July 9, also at Qwest Field. Telefutura follows the team on March 15 as they travel across the country for their third and final group game against Costa Rica at 7 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

CONCACAF LAUNCHES TICKET HOTLINE NUMBER FOR 2005 CONCACAF GOLD CUP: CONCACAF has launched a ticket hotline number, 1-888-480-2005, for tickets to the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will be played in six USA cities from 6-24 July. The domestic and international telephone number will allow fans to purchase tickets in any of the seven stadiums hosting games in the showpiece event. Ticket prices for single dates start as low as $20 in some venues for first-round doubleheaders. Discounts are available for group tickets and for packages of tickets to all the match days in the same city. All tickets are subject to availability.

CONCACAF GOLD CUP MEDIA ACCREDITATION FORM AVAILABLE ONLINE: Media credential applications for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup are now available online at concacaf.com. Application deadline is July 3, 2005 and a color passport photo must accompany all applications. A digital version can be attached to the online application form in the appropriate field. CONCACAF is handling all credential requests and press operations for the Gold Cup.

VOTE FOR TOP 10 U.S. SOCCER EVENTS OF THE DECADE: Fans can vote for their top 10 U.S. Soccer events of the decade from through July 15 at ussoccerfoundation.org as part of the U.S. Soccer Foundation's tenth anniversary commemorations. Users can only vote once and will have 20 different moments from which to choose – from World Cups to Olympic medals, the birth of MLS and the creation of the Foundation, the choices are varied. The winners will be announced at the Foundation’s 2005 Banquet, Thursday, September 15, at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C. H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco will serve as Honorary Chairman of the event. Individual tickets are $1,000 while tables cost $10,000, and can be reserved by contacting the U.S. Soccer Foundation at 202.872.9277 or online at www.ussoccerfoundation.org.

*** “CENTER CIRCLE” SPOTLIGHT ***

PEAK PERFORMER: The U.S. U-20 team knew that going up against four-time World Youth Champion Argentina would be no easy feat, so they dug in their heels and played 90 minutes of inspired soccer to come up with a 1-0 win against the “albicelestes.” The win came despite an early injury (Jonathan Spector leaving the game in the 38th minute with a deep thigh bruise) and a missed penalty kick (Freddy Adu missing the attempt he created in the 72nd minute) giving the U.S. confidence as they face their next Group D opponent: Germany.

MARQUEE MATCHUP: Three days after defeating Argentina, 1-0, the U.S. U-20 MNT squares off against Germany at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland. The showdown kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision (West feed only). Fans can also follow all the action live on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker, presented by Philips Electronics.

SOCCER SHOCKER: Some scorelines in soccer are just amazing, like the 7-0 match between Chile and Honduras on Saturday (June 11) at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland. More amazing than the outcome was the timing of the four final goals, as they all came within a span of 11 minutes, with the fourth overall goal coming in the 67th minute and the final goal coming in the 77th minute for Chile.

QUOTABLE: “We are the first team in this cycle to beat Panama at home. As critical as we are sometimes of our performances, getting a result like that is exceptional. The first goal was big, the second goal was terrific, and then Kasey Keller once again was tremendous. In most game reports, that will go unnoticed, but those three saves were tremendous. Overall, we did what we had to do. The back line played very well and we scored opportunistic goals.”-- U.S. Manager Bruce Arena after the U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Panama 3-0 in Panama City, Panama on June 8 in a World Cup qualifier.